Year: 2011
Type: article
Abstract: Mutually coupled modes of a pair of active LRC circuits, one with amplification and another with an equivalent amount of attenuation, provide an experimental realization of a wide class of systems where gain and loss mechanisms break the Hermiticity while preserving parity-time $\mathcal{PT}$ symmetry. For a value ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathcal{PT}}$ of the gain and loss strength parameter the eigenfrequencies undergo a spontaneous phase transition from real to complex values, while the normal modes coalesce, acquiring a definite chirality. The consequences of the phase transition in the spatiotemporal energy evolution are also presented.
Source: Physical Review A
Authors: Joseph Schindler, Ang Li, Mei C. Zheng, F. M. Ellis, Tsampikos Kottos
Institution: Wesleyan University
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1999786383